THE GRADUS PROJECT
Unlocking Potential, Transforming Lives
Bridging the gap between job seekers and employers, offering essential workforce development for the underemployed
Our Purpose
Our Founder - Dr. Mickey founded non-profit agency, The Gradus Project in 2019 to focus on increasing the economic mobility of domestic violence victims
Previously, she has held various senior leadership posts within government and higher education that span multiple policies and programs such as: Medicaid, Food Stamps (SNAP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Head Start, & the Workforce Investment Act (WIOA). Dr. Mickey’s passion as a violence prevention ambassador encompasses authoring a self help book for victims, serving on a board for a battered women’s shelter/rape crisis center, participating as a hearing officer for campus sexual misconduct cases, teaching future physicians and pharmacists how to screen for domestic violence as a medical school professor and advocating for new laws within a state legislative branch.
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ABOUT US
What We Do
Job Training and Education
We offer a range of training programs tailored to meet the needs of food manufacturing and the logistics industry. From technical skills to soft skills, our curriculum is designed to prepare participants for success.
Career Counseling and Support
Our career counselors provide personalized guidance to help individuals identify their strengths, set career goals, and navigate the job search process.
Employer Partnerships
We collaborate with local businesses and industries to create job opportunities and ensure our training programs align with current market demands.
Support Services
We provide a holistic approach to workforce development, offering support services such as transportation assistance, childcare, and housing assistance to remove barriers to employment.
Mentorship
We collaborate with local businesses and industries to create job opportunities and ensure our training programs align with current market demands.
Community
We collaborate with local businesses and industries to create job opportunities and ensure our training programs align with current market demands.
Our numbers that speak
We have numbers that push us to give in our best and make sure that we break our own records. We are happy to be growing and helping more day by day.
Our Partners
Unlocking Careers: The Gradus Project's Magic Touch Turns Job Seekers into Job Keepers!
Empowering individuals with the skills, resources, and support they need to thrive in their careers.
About Us
Our Approach
OUR VISION
We envision a world where everyone has the opportunity, even those who have endured trauma or who have disabilities, to thrive in a fulfilling career. By addressing the barriers to employment and offering comprehensive support, we aim to build a more inclusive and equitable workforce that benefits individuals, families, and communities.
OUR MISSION
Gradus means ‘another step’ in Latin and our mission is to support domestic violence survivors to take another step toward economic mobility by providing transitional employment, educational experiences and job placement.
PEOPLE
Our Board
Dr. Penny Mickey
Survivor in Chief
Dr. Natasha Smith
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Kesha Lusain
Owner, Lusain Holdings, LLC/Lusain Memorial Funeral Home
Lynn Guthrie
Elementary Education Teacher/Social Worker
NUMBERS
Our Impact
We envision a world where everyone has the opportunity, even those who have endured trauma or who have disabilities, to thrive in a fulfilling career. By addressing the barriers to employment and offering comprehensive support, we aim to build a more inclusive and equitable workforce that benefits individuals, families, and communities.
Gradus means ‘another step’ in Latin and our mission is to support domestic violence survivors to take another step toward economic mobility by providing transitional employment, educational experiences and job placement.
Our Programs
On & Poppin Teen STEM Camp Discovering the Science of Popcorn
The On & Poppin Teen STEM Camp will launch in Summer 2024, targeting middle and high school youth of domestic violence survivors. This immersive experience in a gourmet popcorn factory will allow participants to discover the science behind popcorn, compete in a contest to design a new popcorn flavor, and explore careers in food-based manufacturing and logistics. The camp aims to provide a fun and educational environment where students can learn and grow.
60 Minute Internship
Our 60 Minute Internship program serves high school students and functions as a dating violence prevention program integrated with career discovery. Students will participate in a 60-minute employment activity or internship followed by a 60-minute dating violence prevention workshop. This dual approach aims to prevent dating violence while supplementing existing high school programs with valuable career insights and practical experience.
Domestic Violence Awareness Training Toolkit Distribution to Food-Based Advanced Manufacturers
This program supports Food-Based Advanced Manufacturing companies by auditing their policies to support domestic violence survivors. It includes awareness training and the distribution of toolkits with free materials for employees seeking resources related to domestic abuse. The training and toolkits aim to create a supportive workplace environment, raising awareness and providing crucial resources to those in need.
Project E.A.T. (Earn, Assistance, & Training)
Project E.A.T. adapts a research-based model used with women receiving TANF (federal welfare program) who have experienced domestic violence. The program includes career readiness, technical skills training, job placement, and retention services. Participants engage in paid transitional employment, receive support to combat the emotional and physical ramifications of domestic violence, and undergo technical skills training on operating manufacturing equipment. A Success Coach supports job placement and retention services, ensuring participants receive comprehensive support. The core components of Project E.A.T. are:
- EARN: Participants work 40-55 hours at $15 per hour in transitional employment.
- ASSIST: Supportive Services with weekly contact from the Success Management team.
- TRAIN: Enrollment in industry certification training courses.
OUR PARTNERS
QUESTIONS?
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy Mickey’s Popcorn?
Right here on our website, of course! Join the Mickey’s Popcorn Socially Conscious Email Club to receive online discounts, seasonal promotions, popcorn gift ideas and the latest updates. They’re also sold in many fine retail, wholesale and entertainment venues across our nation.
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Contact Us
Get in touch
- 3127 Stonebrook Circle
- Monday – Saturday: 10am – 6pm
- penny@grad-us.com
- (901) 672-8208
Message us
Partnership with Mickey's Popcorn
MICKEY'S POPCORN
Our Partnership Story
Our clients help produce and fulfill orders from Mickey’s Popcorn. Mickey’s Popcorn is owned by a husband-and-wife duo, Penny and Kenny Mickey, that are two former college basketball players who transferred their zeal from the court to crafting small batch gourmet popcorn. The company also strives to create economic mobility among historically hard-to-serve populations that are close to the husband-and-wife duo’s hearts. The company, in collaboration with the non-profit organization, The Gradus Project, provides paid short-term job placements to help build employability skills, especially among disadvantaged youth and domestic violence survivors.
Supporting Mickey’s Popcorn is also a way to support The Gradus Project. To order some of the most unique popcorn flavors in the world, please check out the Mickey’s Popcorn website for more information.
Our Mission
Our mission is to transform lives through job training and employment opportunities in a unique setting – a gourmet popcorn factory. We believe in empowering individuals by providing them with practical skills, real-world experience, and the support they need to succeed in today’s job market. Being co-located within a gourmet popcorn factory gives our clients direct experience in food manufacturing and logistics that prepares them for family sustaining wage employment.
Unlocking Careers: The Gradus Project's Magic Touch Turns Job Seekers into Job Keepers!
Empowering individuals with the skills, resources, and support they need to thrive in their careers.
Partnership with Mickey's Popcorn
MICKEY'S POPCORN
Our Partnership Story
Our clients help produce and fulfill orders from Mickey’s Popcorn. Mickey’s Popcorn is owned by a husband and wife duo, Penny and Kenny Mickey, that are two former college basketball players who transferred their zeal from the court to crafting small batch gourmet popcorn. The company also strives to create economic mobility among historically hard-to-serve populations that are close to the husband-and-wife duo’s hearts. The company, in collaboration with the non-profit organization, The Gradus Project, provides paid short-term job placements to help build employability skills, especially among disadvantaged youth and domestic violence survivors.
Supporting Mickey’s Popcorn is also a way to support The Gradus Project. To order some of the most unique popcorn flavors in the world, please check out the Mickey’s Popcorn website for more information.
Our mission is to transform lives through job training and employment opportunities in a unique setting – a gourmet popcorn factory. We believe in empowering individuals by providing them with practical skills, real-world experience, and the support they need to succeed in today’s job market. Being co-located within a gourmet popcorn factory gives our clients direct experience in food manufacturing and logistics that prepares them for family sustaining wage employment.
ABOUT US
What We Do
Job Training and Education
We offer a range of training programs tailored to meet the needs of food manufacturing and the logistics industry. From technical skills to soft skills, our curriculum is designed to prepare participants for success.
Career Counseling and Support
Our career counselors provide personalized guidance to help individuals identify their strengths, set career goals, and navigate the job search process.
Employer Partnerships
We collaborate with local businesses and industries to create job opportunities and ensure our training programs align with current market demands.
Support Services
We provide a holistic approach to workforce development, offering support services such as transportation assistance, childcare, and housing assistance to remove barriers to employment.
Mentorship
We collaborate with local businesses and industries to create job opportunities and ensure our training programs align with current market demands.
Community
We collaborate with local businesses and industries to create job opportunities and ensure our training programs align with current market demands.
Unlocking Careers: The Gradus Project's Magic Touch Turns Job Seekers into Job Keepers!
Empowering individuals with the skills, resources, and support they need to thrive in their careers.
EXPLORE
SUPPORT
CONTACT US
- (901) 672-8208
- penny@grad-us.com
- Monday – Saturday: 10am – 6pm